Crown Of Dreams

Chapter 7: The Price of Fame

*November 17, 1992 - NBC Studios, Burbank*

*11:15 PM PST*

Jake Morris stared at his reflection in The Tonight Show's green room mirror, the memory of his past life hitting him like a sledgehammer to the chest. In his original timeline, he'd spent this exact night in his Malibu beach house, flipping through modeling contracts while his father's calls went straight to voicemail. Crown Studios had been weeks away from bankruptcy, and Jake Morris – proclaimed "The Most Handsome Man in America" by GQ – had been nothing but a pretty face who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.

"The price of perfection," he muttered, adjusting his Armani tie. Even before the system's upgrade, he'd been blessed (or cursed) with looks that launched a thousand magazine covers. His father had thrown everything at making him an actor – Juilliard coaches, method acting workshops, even a stint at Lee Strasberg's institute. But Jake had bombed every audition spectacularly.

Until now. Until the system. Until his second chance.

His Nokia buzzed – another message from Disney's PR team about tomorrow's Good Morning America appearance. In his original timeline, he'd never made it within a hundred miles of a talk show couch. He'd been too busy watching helplessly as Crown Studios crumbled, as Harvey Weinstein's toxic empire expanded, as his mother...

The memory of her final note still burned:

*"I'm sorry, Jake. Harvey promised... but men like him only know how to destroy. Don't let your father's dreams die too."*

"Two minutes, Mr. Morris!" A PA's voice snapped him back to 1992. "And... sir? Harvey Weinstein's in the VIP section."

Of course he was. The spider always showed up to watch his victims squirm.

"Ready to dazzle, kid?" Robin Williams burst in like a comedy hurricane, his presence snapping Jake back to the present – or rather, this rewritten past. "Jay's got that look tonight. Like a shark who smells Nielsen ratings in the water!"

Jake managed a genuine smile. In his original timeline, he'd only known Robin Williams from magazine interviews and red carpet footage. Now? Now they were Hollywood's hottest duo, their chemistry splashed across every entertainment show in America.

The monitors flickered to life with Jay's monologue: "...and in entertainment news, Disney's newest star claims he used to be bad at acting on purpose. Yeah, that's like me saying I chose this chin..."

*Through the green room's monitor, Jake watched his father in the audience, remembering how different this night had gone in his original life. Back then, Crown Studios had been drowning in Harvey's toxic deals while Jake strutted runways in Milan. His father had begged him to try acting one last time, but Jake's final audition had been so bad it became a YouTube classic in 2008.

Now, armed with the system's World-Class Acting ability and thirty years of future knowledge, he was about to rewrite Hollywood history.

"...so tonight, folks, we've got the hottest duo in Hollywood – the kid who saved animation and the comic who set it free! Please welcome Jake Morris and Robin Williams!"

Showtime.

The band struck up, and Jake channeled every ounce of his system's charisma as they walked out. In the VIP section, Harvey Weinstein's bulldog face darkened with barely contained rage. The man who'd manipulated Crown Studios into near-bankruptcy, who'd used Jake's mother as a pawn in his power games until she... No. Focus on the present. Or rather, this rewritten past.

"Alright, you two," Jay settled into his chair, shark-like grin gleaming. "Jake, I gotta say — quite the Cinderella story here. Last year, you were bombing auditions so bad Variety called you 'The Most Handsome Disaster in Hollywood.' Now? You're Disney's golden boy. How does that happen?"

The audience leaned forward. In his original timeline, those brutal Variety headlines had killed his acting dreams for good. He'd retreated to the safety of modeling, watching helplessly as Harvey's empire grew and his mother spiraled.

"Well, Jay," Jake started, his system's perfect charm activating, "sometimes rock bottom teaches you to fly. My father believed in me, invested everything in Crown Studios. I couldn't let his dreams die because I was too scared to really try."

Jay pounced. "Speaking of Crown Studios – word is you were practically forced into acting to save the family business. Something about massive debts? Harvey Weinstein's name keeps coming up..."

The studio temperature plummeted. Through his enhanced peripheral vision, Jake caught Harvey leaning forward, eyes gleaming with predatory interest.

But this wasn't his original timeline. This time, he had an ace up his sleeve – or rather, a Disney CEO in his corner. Michael Eisner had already approved their secret plan to acquire Miramax, though Harvey didn't know it yet. In six months, the spider would find himself tangled in his own web.

"You know what, Jay?" Jake let just enough controlled emotion show through. "Everyone's got their struggles. What matters is what you do with them. My father taught me that. And now? Now I get to make magic with legends like Robin Williams. That's not a bad second act."

The audience erupted. Even Jay looked impressed. But it was Harvey's expression that Jake savored – the first flicker of fear crossing that brutal face.

In the green room afterward, Robin pulled him aside. "Kid, that was... I've never seen anyone handle Jay like that. You're not just acting anymore – you're playing the whole game."

If he only knew. In Jake's original timeline, this night had been just another lonely evening in his Malibu mansion, his mother's suicide note burning a hole in his conscience while Crown Studios slipped further into Harvey's grasp.

But that timeline was gone. That helpless pretty boy was gone. This time, armed with future knowledge and supernatural talents, Jake Morris wasn't just going to save his father's studio – he was going to reshape Hollywood itself.

His Nokia buzzed – Disney's marketing team wanted to discuss their Aladdin global rollout strategy. In his previous life, he'd been lucky to book a cologne ad. Now? Now he was about to turn an animated film into a billion-dollar juggernaut.

"They're all going to come for you now," Robin said quietly as they left. "Harvey, the press, the whole machine. Tonight wasn't just an interview – it was a declaration of war."

Jake watched the Hollywood lights blur past his limo window, thinking of the empire he would build, the mother he would avenge, the history he would rewrite.

"Let them come," he said softly. "This time, I'm ready."

The game was on. And thanks to the system, Jake Morris wasn't just playing checkers anymore – he was playing thirty years ahead.

*In the back of his mind, a soft chime sounded as his system registered another successful performance. Tomorrow would bring Good Morning America, more strategic moves, more carefully planted seeds for Aladdin's global domination. But tonight? Tonight he'd shown Harvey Weinstein that the pretty boy wasn't just a pretty face anymore.

This time, the most handsome man in Hollywood had teeth.*